Traveling across the Settled Systems in Starfield can lead to countless discoveries where new ships can come across your radar. From the commonplace workings of Deimos Staryards Inc. to the fresh spaceships from the Stroud-Eklund company, the game is filled to the brim with ships to check out and pilot. However, the “You Are Not Authorized To Pilot This Ship” message is a space roadblock for any bold space traveler who wishes to fly all types of ships.
The message comes up whenever you attempt to pilot a new ship, only to be left stranded with nothing else to do but leave the area behind. This isn’t a misplaced error message or a gameplay bug. Instead, it’s merely a wall that you can bypass with just a few steps. Whether you’re looking to collect a wide variety of ships or pilot the most advanced kind that the Settled Systems has to offer, this guide will cover the essentials to fixing the “You Are Not Authorized To Pilot This Ship” message in Starfield.
How to Fix the You Are Not Authorized To Pilot This Ship
Upon attempting to take over a new ship in Starfield, you will most likely come across the following message: “You Are Not Authorized To Pilot This Ship”. To get rid of this notification, you need to unlock the Piloting Novice Skill under the Tech skill tree by investing four skill points. This particular skill allows you to pilot different sorts of spaceships, starting with a couple of piloting perks before moving on to the Class B and C ships. Class A ships are utilized by default, with the Frontier coming to mind.
The “Not Authorized” message occurs after you’ve successfully docked and boarded an opposing spaceship. Once you deal with the ship’s crew, the game will inform you to either leave the ship or take control of it. The latter simply requires you to approach the cockpit and sit in the pilot’s seat. Depending on how far you’ve progressed with the Piloting skill, the game will let you know if you’re ready to fly away with a new spaceship.
Advancing the Piloting Skill
While the Piloting skill does unlock the ability to handle new ships, it’s not until Rank 3 and 4 that Class B and C space vessels will be available for the Spacefarer to use. The skill’s challenges require the player to continuously destroy enemy ships. Doing so will open up new perks, as long as they have the skill points to spend.
Furthermore, another message may potentially pop up if your character isn’t prepared to take on new ships. The message will read: “Upgraded Piloting Skill Required To Fly This Ship”. If you are not able to handle the new hardware, you can alternatively exit the ship to blow it to smitheerens. Be sure to loot the enemy ship before you move on to the next quest in Starfield.
Expert Tip
Traveling across the Settled Systems in search of trouble can lead to some empty results. To quickly advance the Piloting skill without resorting to grav drive usage and potential losses, follow the UC Vanguard questline until you’ve reached the Supra et Ultra mission. Comissioned by Commander John Tuala, the player is tasked with passing a combat simulator as a part of their registration with the Vanguard. Here, the player will battle against simulated enemies, and each elimination counts toward the Piloting skill, all without any repurcussions to consider.
The four ranks for the Piloting skill are as follows, along with the aligned challenges for the player to complete:
- Rank 1 – Destroy 5 Ships. Unlocks the capability to use ship thrusters.
- Rank 2 – Destroy 15 Ships. Unlocks increased turning rates and maneuverability.
- Rank 3 – Destroy 30 Ships. Unlocks the ability to pilot Class B ships.
- Rank 4 – Skill Complete. Unlocks the ability to pilot Class C ships.
It’s a Novice skill, so any player can attain it as long as they have a point to spend. By default, the Bounty Hunter, Long Hauler, and Space Scoundrel backgrounds all include Piloting as one of the starting skills. Evidently, they’ll have a head start when it comes to fixing the “Not Authorized” message. Of course, four skill points will be needed to fully upgrade Piloting, so keep this in mind as you progressively level up in Starfield.
